I know that this is an older piece of kit, but nevertheless I thought my good, reliable old DG824M wireless ADSL router deserved it's own review.
I've now had this router for several years, and it has behaved perfectly throughout the whole time. Although there are now newer, faster, sleeker ... Read review
Advantages: Integrated wireless, firewall and network switch, easy setup, very reliable Disadvantages: Limited logging functionality, no line quality statistics available
...the last firmware release from Netgear (Version 1.4 Release 05). If you don't install this firmware you *will* have problems, particularly with the wireless side of things. After this release however everything was rock solid and I've never had any problems.
It can log connection attempts and various different 'attack attempts' in an internal log file, which can also be set to automatically email you when it is full. The log is not ... ...are sadly absent. Later Netgear models have corrected this deficiency I believe, but not on this one.
As far as reliability of the ADSL goes, I never have had problems with dropping connections on the link, and have been very pleased with performance. Rock solid would be how I'd describe it, although as ever your mileage may vary, as ADSL performance is at the mercy of so many different factors.
I know that this is an older piece of kit, but nevertheless I thought my good, reliable old DG824M wireless ADSL router deserved it's own review.
I've now had this router for several years, and it has behaved perfectly throughout the whole time. Although there are now newer, faster, sleeker models available, and I have to say I am tempted by them, I keep coming back to the fact that there's absolutely nothing wrong with the one I've got already, and I really don't need the extra speed for the wireless connection, given that none of my other wireless devices can go any faster than they already are doing!
So on to the router itself. It has an integrated 4 port switch, which means that you can have four devices (PCs, printers) etc., connected directly to the router via standard network cables. This is very good, as I like to minimise the use of the wireless where possible (better for security). However I do use wireless with my laptop and PDA and the wireless can be set to either 64bit or 128bit WEP encryption, but that's as far as it goes. It also has MAC address filtering for added security, and the SSID broadcast can be switched off. I make use of all these facilities, paranoid security freak that I am.
The router is configured via a web interface by using your browser and pointing to the router's default IP address. You can change this address in the settings if you want to, along with all the other LAN related things, such as DHCP server and reserved addresses for particular machines.
The web administrator has a wizard based setup routine that can get your ADSL up and running very quickly. It's really easy to use in it's basic out of the box modes, although again, I like to tinker with things, and you absolutely must install the last firmware release from Netgear (Version 1.4 Release 05). If you don't install this firmware you *will* have problems, particularly with the wireless side of things. After this release however everything was rock solid and I've never had any problems.
It can log connection attempts and various different 'attack attempts' in an internal log file, which can also be set to automatically email you when it is full. The log is not stored if the router is switched off however, and as I switch everything off each night (security and power conscious) I never really see the logs unless there is a problem.
You can set up various firewall rules, including scheduling rules, so that you could block all access to the internet after a certain time at night, with the exception of certain IP addresses - great if you have kids all coming through the router for their internet. It also has web blocking capabilities, although they're limited to simple keyword searches of the web site domain name, so that any website address that includes one of the keywords will be blocked.
The router does support Universal Plug & Play if you install the latest firmware, which means it will work with windows messenger, and allow two way video calls etc, without having to configure anything in the firewall or router itself.
You can see information about the devices currently connected through the router, both wired and wireless, and also record traffic statistics and uptime etc. The settings can also be saved to a file as a backup, in case you every have to reset to factory settings etc. The one thing that is missing here is the ability to see the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) and other line quality statistics. These can be very useful when trying to determine problems with ADSL connections, however on this model they are sadly absent. Later Netgear models have corrected this deficiency I believe, but not on this one.
As far as reliability of the ADSL goes, I never have had problems with dropping connections on the link, and have been very pleased with performance. Rock solid would be how I'd describe it, although as ever your mileage may vary, as ADSL performance is at the mercy of so many different factors.
This router has been in place for years and is still going strong - if you're wanting a reliable router, you can pick these up on auction site these days for not much more that £20-£30, and a real router is so much better than the USB modems that so many ADSL providers give you for free. Heartily recommended.
seajays 02.10.2006
Ciao members have rated this review on average:
very helpful
Review of NETGEAR DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway - wireless router - with NETGEAR ME101 Wireless Ethernet Bridge
Product Information for "NETGEAR DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway - wireless router - with NETGEAR ME101 Wireless Ethernet Bridge" »
Manufacturer's product description
NETGEAR DG824M Wireless ADSL Internet Gateway provides four products in one - ADSL Modem, Wireless Access Point, Switch, and Firewall. Equipped with a built-in ADSL modem, it gets you connected to the Internet at top speed. You don't need a separate modem because it plugs right into your ADSL line. The built-in 802.11b wireless access point gives you the untethered freedom of wireless roaming connectivity to network resources and the Internet. You can distribute MP3s, digital movies and photos with ultra-fast LAN ports capable of speeds up to 200Mbps. Play Internet games, send instant messages, host Internet services built-in port forwarding settings make it a breeze. You'll enjoy these benefits all the more knowing you have a True Firewall on the job, providing business-class security for your computers and your network with protection against Denial of Service attacks and network intruders. NETGEAR's easy, Web browser-based setup gets your system working in minutes. This ADSL Modem Gateway is upgradeable with new enhancements via the Internet, and comes with an Ethernet cable for connecting your first computer.This uncomplicated unit plugs directly into your ADSL line, and an integrated switch makes it simple to directly hook up four computers. Setup is easy with unique Install Assistant and on-screen help guiding you through each step. It works with PCs, Macintoshes, and virtually all Ethernet devices.NETGEAR DG824M Wireless ADSL Internet Gateway extends your network to support up to 11Mbps wireless throughput without the need for any new cabling.It covers all the bases with: True Firewall using Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) and Intrusion Control; Denial of Service protection from hacker attacks; VPN (Virtual Private Network) pass-through; content filtering to control Internet access to inappropriate web sites, based on time of day, URL, or URL keywords; logging and reporting capabilities.With speeds of up to 200Mbps, the LAN ports allow you to distribute large multimedia files such as audio, video and graphics with ease. It features double the memory and a 50% faster CPU than many popular routers, and allows you to share your broadband Internet connection among up to 253 devices. It furnishes DMZ support for unrestricted access from the Internet to one computer for Web hosting functionality.This bundle includes DG824M - Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway & ME101 - Wireless Ethernet Bridge.
Related tags for NETGEAR DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway - wireless router - with NETGEAR ME101 Wireless Ethernet Bridge »
Are you the manufacturer / provider of NETGEAR DG824M Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway - wireless router - with NETGEAR ME101 Wireless Ethernet Bridge? Click here